Kentucky

Black Stone Cherry

Kentucky - Very Good, Based on 3 Critics

AllMusic - 80Based on rating 8/10

80

Sometimes you need to look back in order to move forward. While Black Stone Cherry have had increasing chart success -- 2014's Magic Mountain hit number five on the U.K. charts and number 22 in the U.S. -- the band felt a lack of creative control over their recordings. To that end, they left ….

Southern hard-rock establishment Black Stone Cherry pen a love letter to their home state with their fifth album, 'Kentucky.' Vocalist and lead guitarist Chris Robertson spins tales of love, hope, disaster, and magic with a voice cut from the same cloth as the legendary Ronnie James Dio. Titanic riffs and a torrential rhythm section propel “The Way of the Future,” “Hangman” and “In Our Dreams.” In an inspired touch, elements of soul music are weaved throughout, particularly in the stunning “Soul Machine.” Make no mistake, this album is not invoking bluegrass meadows and rolling hills. Instead, the stage is set to the cacophonous sound of Kentucky’s coalmines and devastating tornadoes for one helluva tale.

The southern rockers’ fifth is their toughest ???and tenderest album to date. The isolated old farmhouse where Black Stone Cherry first practised is proudly framed on the sleeve. But this symbol of southern home comfort is bathed in grey, Gothic light, and the surrounding trees are buffeted like there’s a storm coming. That’s about where Edmonton, Kentucky’s finest are at on this follow-up to Magic Mountain’s UK Top 5 success.